Train-indicator.



C. B. ELLIOTT n E. E. CLAPPART.

TRAIN INDICATOR.

APELIGANON ULEB JULY 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912.

' UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

CLAUD B. ELLIOTT .AND EMILE E. CLAPPART, OF HEMPSTEAD, TEXAS.

Application filed July 5, 1911. Serial No. 636,893.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that we, CLAUD B. ELLIOTT and EMILE E. CLAPPART, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Hempstead, in the county of Waller andState of Texas, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements` inTrain-Indicators, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to train indicators of the kind in which anapparatus is employed for displaying numbers, names or characters.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus ofthis kind which will be simple in construction and efective inoperation.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a View of the frontface of a train indicatorlconstructed in accordance with this invention.F ig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view in horizontal section of aportion of the apparatus showing the manner of guiding the ribbon infront of an opening. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of a portion ofthe apparatus shown in vertical section and with parts broken away. Fig.4 is a detail view in cross section of an operating shaft. Fig. 5 is adetail view showing a portion of one of the rollers and means forengaging said roller with its shaft. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail endView of the device shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail viewpartly in section and broken away of a portion of the driving -shaft'and its support. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail View of a portion of thedevice shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a view in vertical section showing apair of rollers and the means fon-guiding the ,ribbon in front of anopenn carrying out the invention an oblong casing 1 is provided having anumber of panels 2 in its front separated by partitions 8 which arelocated and extend transversely in the casing, each of theI panels 2being' formed with an opening .Extending lengthwise through the casing ladjacent to 501 its top and bottom are shafts 5 having. their bearingsin the ends ot the casing and in the partition 3 either of said straitsbeing s operated by; a detachable handle 5 and in each ofthechambers-formed by the parlitions 3 'there are mounted pairs of rollers6, each of said rollers 6 being loosely mount Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

ed on a shaft 5 and connected with each other to rotate in unison byvmeans of a grooved pulley 7 adjacentA one end of each of `said rollers,and fixed to the shaft 5 an endlessbelt 8 extending over grooved ulleys7 on the shafts 53 The rollers are eld 1n spaced position against endwsemovement by means of a collar 9 on the shaft 5 between the pulley 7 andthe end of the casing 1 or a partition 3. VVound upon each roller G ofsaid pairs of rollers is a ribbon 1() which is held adjacent to theopening 4 1n each panel 2 of the casing'by means of rollers 11, each ofwhich is'mounted on a bracket 12 inside of the casin and above andbelowv the opening 4, said ri bon passing over the rollers 11 andy beingheld thereby in a vertical position over theopening'fi.

Mounted in a longitudinal socket in' one end of each of the rollers 6 isa plug 13 longitudinally movable in said socket and held to turn withthe shaft 5 by means ofa pin 14 on the shaft 5 projecting through alongitudinal slot 15 in the plug 13, thereby permitting of thelongitudinal movement of the.

plug, and, at the same time causing it to'l rotate with the shaft 5. Theplug 1s normally held in its outwardly extended position by means of acoil spring 16 located in thc socket behind the plug 13, as shown inFig. 3. l

Mounted on one end-of the roller Gis a disk 17 provided adjacent to itsperiphery with pins 18 with which is adapted to contact, an arm 19projecting from the plug 13 and movable into and out of engagement withthe pin 18. In order to move the arm 19` into engagement with one 'ofthe pins 18 suitable means is provided, as, for example, the lever arm20 pivotedto a support 21 on a plate 22 secured to a partition 3, saidlever arm having a forked end 23 straddling the shaft 5 and bearingagainst the lend of the plug 13, and the other endof said lever 20projecting through an opening 23 in the panel 2 and having a handle 24at its outerA end.

bearing against a pin 1& will .cause the ad- By operating the lever 20the plug 13 may y jacent roller 6 to rotate, thereby Winding the ribbonl0 on one roller 6 and unwinding it from the other. Upon releasing thelever 20 the coil spring 16 will automatically throw back the plug 13 toits normal position as shown in Fig. 3, thereby moving the arm 19 out ofengagement with a pin 18.

It will be noted that the ribbon can be wound on tof/'cine roller andunwound from' the other by changing the handle 5 from one of the shafts5 to the other. As shown each of the ribbons cont-ains a number offigures or other characters, so that by operating separately each lever20 the numbers presented in the openings of the different panels may bechanged by operating one or more of the ribbons by the rotation of ashaft 5.

What We claim is In an indicator of the kind described, an oblong casinghaving a horizontal row of Sight apertures, driving shafts mountedadjacent to the top and bottom of said casing respectively and extendinglongitudinally thereof, pairs of rollers mounted on thev upper and lowershafts respectively above and below each sight aperture, a groovedroller adjacent to one end of each of said rollers and fi-Xed to theshaft, an endless belt connecting each pair of grooved rollers, a ribbonwith symbols extending past each sight aperture and wound upon saidfirst named rollers, a plug slidably mounted in each of saidribbon-carrying rollers and keyed to said shaft, and having a projectingarm, project-ions on the end of each ribboncarrying roller, a springbearing against said plug to hold its arm out of engagement with theprojections on the roller and to automatically return the plug to itsnormal position, a lever for moving each plug and its arm intoengagement with the proj ections on the roller, and means for operatingone of said shafts.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

CLAUD B. ELLIOTT. EMILE E. CLAPPART. Witnesses L. D. AMSLER, WV. G.MORRISON.

